So Brits who live abroad can now vote in the General Election.

If you pay your raced here yes if not no.

I totally agree with you Joseann.
Those who wish to live in one country and vote in both simply want their cake and to eat it.
People who live abroad should concentrate on the community they live in.
My daughter lives in New Zealand. I don’t vote in New Zealand just because the government there affects her. When I spend two months at a time in New Zealand visiting her, although we live in an AirB+B when we’re here, we’re contributing a lot to the economy, paying tax on our purchases and the property we stay in, but we don’t expect to vote here just because our daughter and grandchildren live here.
You pay your halfpenny and you take your pick, one thing or the other, not a foot in both camps.

What is it that I can't know?
OK, I'll re phrase that from my own perspective. There's a lot that I can't feel about the UK when living abroad. Subtle undercurrents and changes. Because I'm NOT physically there experiencing what is going on, and witnessing the resulting effects.
I had three dependent children, at school and at university, living back in the UK when I chose to live in France, but I never once assumed that I should have my vote there to determine their futures. My reasoning was that I had opted out of living there. I was no longer part of the system.

I think an overall decline of 12% since Brexit, is a bit more than a vagary. It's obviously not good, but without turning this into a competition, between 2003 and 2008 I saw a 30% decline in my income, way before Brexit, and have my business accounts for that period. I survived!

maddyone you don't get to vote in both countries. Before Brexit we could vote (and stand) in local elections here in France, but not regional or national. After Brexit, even as a UK taxpayer I had no vote anywhere for anything, until this year.

Joseann I don't think I need to experience subtle changes and undercurrents to make a judgement on the current government and decide who to vote for, though I will vote tactically. 😂😂😂

Seismic in this particular case! 😂

The mere fact that someone cares about country or has a continuing interest in etc etc , is not a good enough reason for having the vote.

You should need to be invested (not in the monetary sense) in a country because you live there and work there and where the government affects your everyday life, to have a vote.

For 32 years we have had a holiday home in France. It is in Normandy se we are there practically every month for a stay, but we have never considered we had any right to demand to vote in France, even though we have far more invested in that country than many an expat has in Britain.

We will still have a continuing interest in the country after the house is sold next week and we will continue visiting frequently, but again we do not expect to have a vote.

Go elsewhere and pay your taxes to another government and, as I have said 'No representation without taxation'

MOnica I pay tax in the UK on my UK occupational pension because that is what HMRC and the double taxation treaty demands. So does everyone else who worked in government, local government, NHS, military etc. I have already explained that I have no vote in France.
I would like to ask a question of people who think that British passport holders who live abroad should have no vote in the UK.
Do you think that migrant foreign nationals who do not have British passports, but work and pay taxes in the UK should have the vote?

Simple answer to that; NO, if you live for a time and work in a country, but decline to become a citizen, then absolutely not, you should not have a vote. Some people go to live and work for a period in a country, my son spent two years working in Sri Lanka after university, he didn’t expect to get a vote, he wasn’t a citizen. My daughter lives and works in New Zealand at present, she has residency but is not a citizen. She does not have a vote. People should have a vote in the country they live in, pay taxes in (not just income tax because they are forced to by the rules) and have an allegiance to. Citizens qualify for all of these and are the only ones who should have a vote!
If you want to vote, live in Britain and become a citizen, if you are not already a citizen. That shows your loyalty and interest in the country.

I personally don't think their will be a big take up of this many living in the UK do not bother to vote and if you/I lived in another country why would you bother I certainly wouldn't, also how will it work, which constituency or would be MP do you vote for or are you allocated one by the government 🤔

Yes I thought that would be the response. So the taxation and representation is obviously not so important? Citizenship is what counts?
But we are British citizens, who moved to France under the rules of EU freedom of movement with the intention of (perhaps / probably ) moving back at some point, just like some people give up their second homes.
It is possible to be invested in two countries, you know.

Nicenanny3

I personally don't think their will be a big take up of this many living in the UK do not bother to vote and if you/I lived in another country why would you bother I certainly wouldn't, also how will it work, which constituency or would be MP do you vote for or are you allocated one by the government 🤔

The answer is on page one of the thread.

if if understood the article correctly, UK citizens who live abroad can already vote in UK elections for 15 years, so this ruling only applies to those who have lived abroad for longer than that but who are still British citizens.
I doubt many of the 3m eligible people will actually vote, it will be interesting to see, but the UK is one of the last to the party in allowing this to be possible for those who want to - and if they are motivated enough to go to the effort of registering to do so, I’d wager they are more aware politically than a lot of the citizens who actually live here.

This news has been doing the rounds in our expat WhatsApp group, too. Some of us are applying. Quite honestly, I can't remember the last address I lived at in the UK, so I don't think I could apply. I left when I was 19, before I had had an opportunity to vote, so I have never voted in my life.

I do follow the UK news and listen to the radio and the Newscast podcast, so I am fairly and quite honestly, I wouldn't have the faintest idea who to vote for. They all seem so useless. It's not much better here in Germany.

Good luck with the GE!

And I do pay taxes in the UK. Well. I declare my income but it's too low to be taxed. It would never have occurred to me that taxation had anything to do with the right to vote. What about the 18-year-olds who are still at school or others who are too young to have started earning?

There's some truth in what you say Mamie about expats being more aware politically than some citizens at home! Why? Because if they're wide awake enough, they can't help but compare different governments, laws, systems, etc. so have a certain knowledge of what is going on at home too.
But I still think a vote is a step too far.

I still agree with you Joseann.
I haven’t ever said anything about ‘no taxation without representation,’ although it was an important landmark at or following the Boston Tea Party.
To me a person needs to have a direct interest and involvement in a community/country. If you choose to live abroad, I’m afraid you don’t. Plus if you choose to live in a country but decline to become a citizen, then likewise, you are declaring that your loyalty and therefore citizenship is owed to another community/country.

Yes, JackyB, even Germany is in a bad way. Never thought we'd see that!

It doesn’t matter to me that some ex pats regard themselves as having superior knowledge and interest in the political life of their ex country; that matters not one jot. What matters is that you live in the country and are a citizen of the country that you wish to vote in.
I have never agreed with the 15 year rule, and I don’t agree with extending it.

I mentioned taxes, taxes I’m sure are to do mainly with the upkeep of infrastructure, however surely this is key.

No and no. So my family, with a British passport ,by birth, who have never lived here, some have visited only once, ten years ago, can vote in our elections. Outrageous.

My daughter left aged 3 and has only visited once when she was 12. She is now 52. Could she vote ? She has never worked there, doesn’t have an insurance card but I think she used to have a British passport when they were in the EU. Interesting.

Actually Joseanne it was Casdon who said that about migrants being more politically aware not me. I wouldn’t want to judge but I would probably say some are some aren’t. There is a lot of discussion on some of the remaining forums and most people seem to be signing up to help family and friends to get rid of the current government.

👍 sorry forthe mix up, Mamie/*Casdon*. I was throwing clothes on earlier when I read it, (on school run today).

I know numbers-wise it wouldn't happen, but if I was Mark Smith, a plumber, from say Luton and was voting for an MP in a marginal seat, and along come votes from retired Joe Brown and co. abroad, who used to live in Luton, might I not bea bit miffed if their votes upset the apple cart and my preferred candidate lost? My concern would be for what is happening in my home town everyday.

Long-term British expats in EU nations were unable to vote in the Brexit referendum. I think about a million people were affected, am not sure about the figures.